The Beach

THE BEACH

Rating: C
Leonardo DiCaprio is a young man traveling alone in Thailand. That's all we know about his character at the start of The Beach, and his voice-over succinctly informs us it's all we really need to know. When he encounters a deranged man in a seedy Bangkok hotel, he listens intently as the man relates the tale of a secluded beach on an island nearby that's the closest thing to paradise this side of Heaven.

If you have to ask why DiCaprio would suddenly become fixated on finding this beach, or why the two young lovers next-door (Virginie Ledoyen and Guillaume Canet) would freely abandon their vacation plans to accompany him, you're probably not going to "get" a whole lot else about this film, either. The whole storyline is deeply rooted in the characters' discontent with modern life and the gnawing feeling inside that somewhere, somehow, a happier place exists if only they could find it.

Because the thematic elements play such an important role in this movie, it's almost impossible to examine the film in any detail without giving away key points in the plot. For that reason, this review must now fork into two paths. Those who haven't seen the movie should continue reading this page, where I'll attempt to summarize its good and bad points without giving too much away. Those who are already familiar with the story, or who simply don't mind some SERIOUS SPOILERS, can click here for additional discussion.

Based on the movie's title alone, you've probably already guessed that DiCaprio does indeed find this beach. Along the way we're treated to some beautiful exteriors filmed on location in Thailand. (This itself is not without some irony, since Twentieth Century Fox reportedly bulldozed some of the local rainforest to create this paradisiacal beach.) Unfortunately, lush scenery only goes so far. Although there are one or two scenes of DiCaprio and Ledoyen getting hot and steamy in best Blue Lagoon fashion, my gut feeling is that viewers expecting a romantic date movie will be sorely disappointed. In one sequence when DiCaprio is alone in the wilderness and begins to lose his sanity, not only does the change in his mental state seem awkwardly abrupt, but the scenes are just plain unpleasant to watch. Another sequence is unnecessarily gory. While the blood and shredded flesh have significance in terms of the plot, the camera needlessly lingers on them for one gut-churning close-up after another.

Ultimately, The Beach has some interesting ideas to explore, but it's only partially successful in its attempts. In many cases, the events in the plot which are supposed to seem "inevitable" instead seem forced and contrived. The overall effect will either bore those viewers not interested in such "deep" thoughts, or leave those who are interested feeling unsatisfied.